Sparkling yo-yo toy



SPARKLING YO-YO TOY Filed Aug. 8, 1955 .INVENTOR Lows Marx ATTORNEYSPatented Apr. 13, i937 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE SPARKLING Yo-Yo TorLouis Marx, New York, N Y. Application August s, 1935, serial No. 35,253p Claims.

which is simple and inexpensive; which includes flints so mountedV as tobe readily replaceable;

which causes the flints to bear against the abrasive surfaces of theyo-yo with a light pressure or contact in order to minimize friction andto in no way impede the normal operation of the toy; and which is fullyas easy and in some respects easier to operate than an ordinary yo-yotoy not equipped with sparking'l mechanism.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and other objects which willhereinafter appear, my invention consists in the yo-yo and sparkproducing elements, and their relation'one to the other, as arehereinafter more particularly described in the specification and soughtto be defined in' the claims. The specification is accompanied by adrawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of sparknsyO-YO;

Fig. 2 is a partially sectioned side elevation of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the yoke or flint holder shown ininverted position.

Referring to the drawing the yo-yo is generally conventional incomprising a deeply centrally grooved circular or disc-like body I2having an operating cord I4 looped in the central groove I6. Consideredin another aspect, the

toy comprises two circular disc-like bodies I8 and 2i) connected incoaxial slightly spaced rela-v provided with sparkling or sparkproducing mechanism; As here exemplified, the bodies I8 and 20 areprovided with abrasive surfaces v24 and 26 on the rims or outermostperipheries thereof'j These surfaces cooperate with suitable 5 elements28 and 30 which are preferably made of pyrophoric metal but which mayfor convenience be referred to simply as flints. The iiints are carriedby a flint bearer 32 which is perforated at 34 to receive the operatingcord I4. It will be understood that cord I4 holds the flint bearer 32duringV relative rotation of the yo-yo body, thereby affording movementof the abrasive surfaces relative to the flints, With resultingsparkling of the yo-yo when operated.

Considering the arrangement in greater .detail, the circular bodies I8and 20 are preferably made of sheet metall The abrasive surfaces 24 and26 may be constructed by cementing in place narrow strips of emery clothor like ab- A rasive material. However, `I find it advantageous torotate the yo-yo body and to apply cement at the bands 24 and 26, and tothereafter apply abrasive grains to the adhesive bands, as by the use ofan air spray gun or the like. 25 It will be understood that the sheetmetal bodies are preferably so shaped as to provide a flat raised rimfor the abrasive bands. It may also be pointed out that it is desirablethat the inner face of each body be stepped outwardly in one or morerounded steps, as indicated at 36, thereby facilitating passage of theoperating cord I4 into the groove I6, and also preventing rubbing of theoperating cord on the abrasive surfaces which otherwise wouldprematurely wear out the cord.

The flint bearer 32 is in the form of a sheet metal yoke the arms. 38 ofwhich are rotatably related to the yo-yo body. In the present case thearms 38 are provided with bearing pins 40. 40 These pins are tubular andare preliminarily expanded or collared at 42, after which they areVpassed through perforations in arms 38 and are riveted'or flanged at 44.Arm 38 is clamped between collar 42 and flange 44. The outer walls 4 ofthe rotatable bodies I8 and 26 are centrally perforated to receive pins40, as is clearly sho-Wn in Fig. 2. The yoke is preferably made ofsomewhat resilient metal and may be expanded or spread when applying thesame to or removing the same from' the yo-yo` body I2. The normal orclosed position of the yoke is as shown in Fig. 2, with the bearing pins40 received in the mating bearing holes of the yo-yo.

Perforation 34 is preferably rounded to smooth condition in order not towear out the operating cord I4. This may be done by adding an eyelet tothe perforation or by folding the lmetal over and rounding the resultingfolded edge.

'Ihe flints 28 and 30 are secured at their upper ends to flint plates 4Bbest shown in Fig.- 3. These plates have outwardly. projecting pivotlugs 48 at the lends remote from the flints. 'Ihe sides sides of yoke 32and leading Vto the bearing perl of yoke 32 near the top or bend of theyoke are perforated at 50 to receive the outermost lugs 48. mounted onindependent flint plates, thetop of the yokehas a bearing 52 bentinwardly therefrom, this bearing being perforated to receive the innerpivot' lugs 48 of flint plates: 46.A Y

In order to make the flints readily-replaceable when worn, I provideslots 54 cut through the forations 50. These slots readily pass pivotlugs 48 when the lugs are presented in an'dgewise directionfgbut when:the vlugs are turned side-V p wardlyV as shown inl Fig. l or,3,vtheyareunableito 1 pass/.through slots;54fand are locked in the bear-,fV

ing holes 50.- When the yoke andyo-'yobody I2` are assembled as showninFigs. 1 and2; the flint plates. 45 Vare freely oscillatable and restlightly gravitationally on the abrasive surfaces, but the permissibleoscillation vof the flint plates is rela- Y tively limited, andtheplates cannot turn down- Wardly to a position in which they may fall orbe removed fromY the bearings 50. When the yoke armsV are spread and theyoke removed from the yo-yo body, however, `it is readily possible totilt the flint plates downwardly (or upwardly as viewed in Fig'. 3)until the plates are aligned in the direction of slots 54, at which.time they may be removed from the yoke. With the constructionherershown,A in which one central bearing hole 52 is used for both flintplates, it is necessary to move both plates tothe loading or unloadingposition so that the overlapping lugs '48 at the inner or` adjacentedges of the flint plates are keptl in parallel relation.

' It is believed that the mode of constructing and using', as: wellasthe -many advantages of Inyimproved sparkling yo-yo, will be apparentfrom the foregoing detailed description thereof. The yo-yo is operatedin the usual manner, it being dropped or thrown while holding the freeend of the operating cord, thus imparting rotation to the yo-yo body,which, when the string is unwound, continues to rotate in the samekdirection and then winds itself up on the operating cord. During theoperation of the yo-yo, a' sparkling or illuminated effect is obtainedwhich is especially attractive at night. The rotation of the yo-yo isnot appreciably restrained because the flint bears against the abrasivesurface with only a light gravitational pressure and is quite fr ee forself-adjusting movement. 'Ihe mechanism added forjproducing thedesiredsparkin'g is Acomparatively simple and inexpensive.

flints are readilyy accessible for replacement.

An advantage of the yoke construction here disclosed is the ease withwhichy the yoke may b e removed from the yo-yo, thus restoring therotatable body to the form of an ordinary yor-yo which may be used inthe regular manner. A child playing with the yo-yo may preferito removethe yoke during the day-time and to replace the sameV at night, thususing the'sparkling Y feature only when most effective.

It will be apparent that while I havel shown and described my inventionin preferred forms, many changes and modifications may be made Where, asis here krthe case, the .flints are The in the structures disclosedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention defined in thefollowing claims.

I claim: f

1. A sparkling yo-yo Vcomprising a centrally grooved circular disc-likebody, an operating cord looped in said groove and adapted to be wound orunwound in either directionduring operation of the toy, Ya relativelywide yoke mem-V ber, said yoke member andbody having mating bearingparts for free rotation of the body Within the yoke, said yoke beingperforated to receive the operating cord, abrasive surfaces on theouterperipheries of the body membenand flints mounted on flint carryingarms shorter than the Vwidth of the yoke member and housed within thelyoke membeijsaid arms being pivotally mounted on said yoke member andresting gravitationally on the abrasive surfaces, said operating cordserving to prevent rotation of the yoke and thereby providingrelativemovement of the flints and abrasive surfaces to cause sparklingof theyo-yo during operation. 1

2.,A sparkling yo-yo comprising two `circular f disc-like bodiesconnected in coaxial spaced re lation by a hub, an operating cord loopedabout,

the hub and adapted to be Wound or unwound in.

either direction during operation of thertoy, a. sheet metal yokemember, said yoke member and body having mating bearing parts for freerotation of thebody Within the yoke, said yoke being perforated toreceive the operating cord, an abrasivel surface on the outer periphery`of a ybody, member, a flintlsecured `on a sheet metal int plate havingoutwardly projecting pivot lugs at one end thereof, the side wallsofsaid yokenear the edge thereof being :perforated to receive the pivotlugs of said ilint plate in ordervto pivotally. support the'flint incontact withathejabrasive surface, said flint plate being directedtowardthe l other edge of the yoke and held in place between theVyoke'and the` body, said walls being slotted'r from the outside to theperforations in such die Y rection thatrthe flint plate is readilyremoved and replaced when the body is separatedfrom the yoke, but cannotbe removed when the body is borne by the yoke.` f

3. A sparkling yo-yo comprising two circular disc-like bodies connectedin vcoaxial spaced relation by a hub, an roperating cord looped about ineither direction during operation of theV toy, a sheet metal yoke memberhaving bearing pins received in bearing holes at the center of the body,said yoke being perforated to receive the operating cord, an abrasivesurface on the outer periphery of a body member, a flint secured on asheet-metal flintplate having outwardly project ing pivot lugs at oneendthereof, the side ,walls` of said yoke near the top thereof beingperforated and slotted from the outside to said perforations,

the hub and adapted to be wound or unwound` the pivot lugs of said flintplate being detachably Y eries of the body member, ints secured on sheetmetal int plates having outwardly projecting pivot lugs at one endthereof, the side walls of said yoke near the top thereof beingperforated and slotted from the outside to said perforations, a centralbearing lug being turned downwardly from the top Wall, the pivot lugs ofsaid int plates being detachably received in said central and outsidebearings in order to pivotally support the flints in contact with theabrasive surfaces.

5. A sparkling yo-yo comprising a centrally grooved circular disc-likebody, an operating cord looped in said groove and adapted to be Wound orunwound in either direction during operation of the toy, a relativelywide yoke member, said yokemember and body having mating bearing partsfor free rotation of the body within the yoke, said yoke beingperforated to receive the operating cord, an abrasive surface on theouter periphery of the body member, and a flint mounted on a flintcarrying arm housed within the yoke member, said arm being pivotallymounted -on said yoke member and resting gravitationally on the abrasivesurface, said operating cord serving to prevent rotation of the yoke andthereby pro- Viding relative movement of the int and abrasive surface tocause sparkling of the yo-yo during operation.

LOUIS MARX.

